Improvement in combined cotton scraper and chopper



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. R. F. GIBSON & R. P. McDANIEL. Combined. CottonScraper and Chopper.

Patented Aug 13 k. R m

ILFETERS, [M010 UTHOGRAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. R. P. GIBSON & R. P.MoDANIEL. Combined Cotton Scraper and Chopper.

No. 206,871. Patented Aug. 13, I878.

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Nv PETE-RS. PH

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD F. GIBSON AND RICHARD P. MCDANIEL, OF TUSCALOOSA COUNTY,

ALABAMA.

.IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED COTTON SCRAPER AND CHOPPER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 206,87], dated August13, 187R application filed July 15, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD F. GIBSON and Brennan P. MODANIEL, of thecounty of Tuscaloosa, in the State of Alabama, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Oombined Cotton Chopper and Scraper, of which thefollowing is a specification:

Our invention relates more particularly to certain details ofconstruction and arrangement of mechanism, as fully describedhereinafter, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1represents, in side elevation, and Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, in topand bottom plan views, a combined chopper and scraper constructedaccording to our invention, part of the mechanism being broken away. Fi4 is a transverse section through line 00a, of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the drive-wheel having the toothed wheel attached, and Fig.6 is a side elevation of the latter. Fig. 7 is a detached view of theshaft connecting the rear ends of the plow-beams. Fig. 8 shows one ofthe drags attached to plow-foot, and Fig. 9 shows said drag inperspective. Fig. 10 represents, in perspective, the chopper-hoe and itsstock or foot.

Similar letters of reference are employed in the above figures toindicate corresponding parts wherever they may occur.

AA are the drive or ground wheels, mounted upon an axle, a, upon whichaxle said wheels may be adjusted laterally by means of washers a a, toincrease or diminish the space between said drive-wheels according tothe width of the drill or row of cotton. B is an arched cast-iron frame,the arms I) of which form the bearings I) 1) b the former to receive theshaft a, and the twolatter for the rotary choppershaft 0, in whichbearings said shafts revolve freely.

Upon the rear end of shaft 0 is keyed a bevel-pinion, c, which mesheswith a 'correspondin g toothed ring, 0, bolted to the spokes a of wheelA. This toothed ring is adapted for lateral adjustment upon the spokes aso as to keep the ring and pinion in gear whenever the wheels areadjusted upon the axle a, which is effected by the following means: Uponthe inner periphery of the ring 0 are cast a series of cars, c providedwith segmental slots 0 for the passage of bolts a and upon the rear faceof said ring are formed a series of stepped projections, 0 immediatelyabove and at one side of the center of the ears c each provided withthree or more steps, c one higher than the other, the number of thesestepped projections being equal to the number of slotted ears 0, as willbe readily understood, and as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6. The numberof slotted ears 0 and stepped projections c is equal to the number ofspokes of the drive-wheel A, which spokes are provided with bolt-holes athrough which pass the bolts a for securing the ring G in properposition upon the spokes.

It will be readily understood that when the space between the wheels isincreased by moving one or both of them outward the toothed ring must bemoved inward correspondingly, in order to mesh with the pinion c, whichmay be readily efiected by removing the bolts a and placingthe nextshoulder or step c against the spokes, or by removing the toothed wheela distance equal to the height of the third step, or vice versa,according to the width of the row. By these means the chopper may beemployed upon any land.

D is a rotary chopper consisting, essentially, of a hub, d, providedwith spokes a. Each spoke is provided with transverse slots d for thepassage of bolts d, by means of which the hoe or chopper stocks E aresecured in place, which latter are provided with longitudinal slots e,through which pass said bolts (1 The shovel or chopper stocks E areslightly curved at their upper extremities, as shown at e, and to thesecurved ends are bolted the slightly curved and rhomboidal shovels F,each provided with alongitudinal slot, f. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3, and-l0.

In order to regulate the depth of the cut of the choppers relatively tothat of thescrapers, hereinafter described, and also to adjust the lineof travel of said cutters or choppers around their shaft closer to orfarther from the drags of the scrapers, and further to regu late theangle at which each chopper or cutfor shall enter the ground, I move thespider or wheel d d upon its shaft either closer to or farther from thedrags, hereinafter more fully referred to and described, by means of theset-screw d, which serves to secure the chopper rigidly upon its shaft,while the depth of the cut is regulated by moving the 110estock E inwardor outward upon the spokes by means of the longitudinal slots 0, theline of travel and the angle at which the shovels or hoes are to enterthe ground being regulated by means of the transverse slots at in thespokes d and the bolts (1 as well as the longitudinal slots f in thehoes I and the bolts and nuts f. The forward end of the arched frame Bis provided with a swiveled eyebolt, G, by means of which the chopper isconnected with the plow or scrapers, which I will now more fullydescribe.

H represents a plow-beam, the rear end of which is curved to receive aplow stock or foot, as shown at h. The forward end of the plowbeam Hforms a bearing for the standard h, through the lower end of whichpasses the axle which supports two guide-wheels, I. The standard isfurther provided, at or near its upper end, with a clevis, 7: forhitching the draftanimals to the apparatus, and by means of the brace ithe standard is braced to the beam II.

The front end of the beam 11 may be raised or lowered to raise or lowerthe points of the plows by changing the position of the brace i eithertoward the front or rear of the beam in the holes 6; thus the depth ofthe cut of the plows is regulated at pleasure.

II represents another plow-beam bent at right angles at its forward end,as shown at h", and provided with a lip or car, It, by means of which itis bolted to the plow-beam H, as shown, which latter is further providedwith a number of holes, h", whereby the relative position of the beams HH and their respective plows may be adjusted.

P P are the plow-feet, of curvilinear form, and these plow-feet arebolted to the curved ends of the plow-beams H II in the usual manner. Toeach plow-foot is bolted a scraper, p p, in such manner that thesescrapers may be readily removed and any other plowshare attached intheir place; thus the scrapers pp may be removed and cultivator-plowssubstituted to convert the scraper into a cultivator, or right and lefthand shovels may be bolted to the plow-feet when desired.

The two plow-beams H H are connected together at their rear ends bymeans of an adjustable brace-shaft, K, rounded at both ends and squarein the center, as shown. Both ends of the brace shaft or rod arescrewthreaded, and by means of the nuts k k the beams may be set to anywidth of drill. L represents a slotted coupling -bar provided with alongitudinal slot, I, through which passes the coupling-bolt l', theouter ends of which are screw-threaded to receive a nut, by means ofwhich it is secured in position upon the shaft K, Fig. 7, while the hookI engages with the eye of the bolt G to connect the scraper with thechopper. By means of the slot 1 the shaft upon which the chopper ismounted may be adjusted relatively to the drags, as will be readilyseen.

Behind each scraper 1) p is an adjustable drag, M M, provided withvertical slots 121, through which pass the bolts m, by means of whichthe drags are bolted to the plow-feet,

their position relatively to that of the plows or scrapers beingadjusted by means of the slots m and bolts m.

It will be readily seen that as the plows pass through the ground oneach side of a drill to throw the earth outward the drags followingimmediately behind said plows or scrapers level the ground and form asmooth surface of sufficient width for the wheels A A, which factgreatly facilitates the handling of the apparatus, and also causes it torun much easier over the ground, thus eifecting a saving in power. Ofcourse it will be understood that the scrapers and drags are upon thesame line with the ground-wheels A A.

N N are the handles, detachabl y connected with the plow-beams H H attheir forward end by means of bolts and nuts, and n n are braces, bymeans of which said handles are braced to the rear end of saidplow-beams. 0 is a connecting-rod connecting the cross-bar n of thehandles with the arched beam 13 of the chopper, by means of which thelatter may be readily raised or handled.

It will be seen from what has been said above that by means ofthepeculiar construction and arrangement of parts I obtain a 00mbincdchopper and scraper which may be readily converted into a combinedchopper and cultivator, or into a cultivator, by detaching the plow fromthe chopper, or a common plow by attaching the ordinary plow-handles andthe respective shovels or shares, capable of any desired set in width orthe plows may be adjusted so as to follow each other, as desired. Thechopper may also be attached to front of plow to chop the cotton, andthe plows following said chopper may be made to hill it by throwing theearth up on each side of the row or drill. The apparatus may also beemployed in another way for the cultivation of cotton. The scrapers maybe used alone to run around the cotton before it is suificiently largeto be chopped, to prepare the crop for the chopper, and when ofsufficient growth the chopper may then, as above stated, he hitched tothe front of the scrapers, throwing the beams wide enough apart for theaction of suitable cultivator-shovels attached to the plow-feet. In lieuof the scrapers, the crop may be chopped and cultivated at the sametime.

Having now described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In acombined cotton chopper and scraper, the combination of thelaterally-adjustable plow-beams carrying the scrapers, the verticallyadjustable drags, a horizontally, vertically, and laterally adj ustablerotary chopper and its driving-pinion, the laterally-adjustabledrive-wheels, and a correspondin g1 y-adj ustable toothed ring, allconstructed and operating as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a cotton-chopper, an adjustable toothed ring adapted foradjustment upon and to and from the spokes of one of the drive-wheels,substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The toothed ring 0, provided upon its inner periphery with ears 0',having segmental slots 0 and upon its rear face with stepped projections0 substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. In a cotton-chopper, the combination of a pair of drive-wheelslaterally adjustable upon their axle, an arched frame carrying arotating chopper-shaft, also adjustable laterally upon the drive-wheelaxle and carrying a bevelpinion, and a toothed ring adapted to mesh withsaid beveled pinion, said toothed ring being also adjustable upon thespokes or arms of one of the drive-wheels, so as to maintain said pinionand gear-wheel or ring in gear when the drive-wheels are moved toward orfrom each other, as described, for the purpose specified.

5. Ina-combined cotton chopper and scraper, the combination, with thedrive-wheels of the former, of apair of scrapers followed by a pair ofdrags upon a line with that of said drive or ground wheels of thechopper, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with the chopper D, of the drags M M and thescrapers p 1), all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, with the plow-beams H H and the chopper-frame B, ofthe brace-shaft K, the nuts k k, the slotted bar L, couplinghook l, andeyebolt G, all constructed and operating as and for the purposesspecified.

8. The combination of the plow-beams H H, the brace-shaft K, and nuts 70k with the drivewheels A A, axle a, and washers a a substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

9. The combination of the plow-beams H II, the shaft K, and nuts k kwith the drive-wheels A A, axle a, washers a a, adjustable toothed ringG, chopper-frame l3, shaft 0, pinion c, and chopper D, all arranged andoperating substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 10th day of July, 1878.

RICHARD F. GIBSON. RICHARD I. MCDANIEL. Witnesses S. M. GowLTnN, J. S.BLAeKnrnN.

